Sarkozy, wife win photo lawsuits

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni are seen on a trip to Cairo, Egypt, in December. Associated Press
(Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, won a lawsuit against Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which was ordered to pay nearly $89,000 for an advertisement featuring a photo of the couple.

Sarkozy and Bruni filed separate lawsuits that were heard together in a court session in Paris, seeking damages for the carrier’s use of the image for commercial purposes without permission.

Thierry Herzog, a lawyer for the couple, said Bruni had decided to donate the court award to Restos du Coeur – a network of charity soup kitchens well-known in France.

The advertisement, which appeared in Le Parisien newspaper on Jan. 28, shows Sarkozy and Bruni gazing skyward, with a think bubble over Bruni’s head reading, “With Ryanair, my whole family will be able to attend my wedding.”

Mogadishu, Somalia

Grenade kills 15, mostly Ethiopians

A grenade tossed into a house killed at least 15 people and wounded 50 others Tuesday in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, an official said.

Most of those killed or wounded were Ethiopians believed to be on their way to find work in the Arabian Peninsula.

Police were searching for the attackers and trying to determine why the Ethiopians were targeted.